Gaming machine manufacturers constantly strive to produce gaming machines that maximize enjoyment and excitement for players by incorporating familiar features in various ways in the games. Known gaming devices include triggering events which occur during the play of the base game of the gaming device. The triggering event temporarily stalls or halts the base game play and enables the player to enter a second, different type of game, which is the bonus game. The player plays one type of game in the bonus game, likely receives an award in the bonus game, and returns to the base game. There is, therefore, a need to combine in unique ways different types of games employed in different gaming machines into one game.
An example of a well-known type of game is a selection game. A typical selection game used in a secondary or bonus game prompts and enables the player to pick one or more selections from a group of masked selections. When the player picks one or more of the assorted selections, the gaming device provides the player the awards associated with the selections picked by the player and the game ends.
Reel games are also well-known types of games. It is well known that a plurality of reels can be employed in a bonus game as well as a base game. Reels in gaming devices are known to have a variety of different types of symbols, indicia or characters displayed on the reels. Awards are typically associated with one or more symbols, and one or more combinations of symbols.
Gaming device manufacturers have also made games where the maximum wager in the base game influences an outcome in a bonus game. An example of a method in which a wager in the base game is able to affect an outcome in the bonus game is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,186,894 in which in one embodiment the number of chances provided to the player to play the secondary event game is based on the number of paylines that the player has played on the main game or by the number of credits wagered on each payline.
There is a continuing need to provide new and different games for wagering gaming machines.